More Than 1,200 Gather in Montreal for Canada's Largest Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition

Oct 03, 2017

CanWEA 2017, the Canadian Wind Energy Association’s annual conference and exhibition attracted more than 1,200 wind energy professionals from Canada and around the world, being held in Montreal, Quebec on Oct. 3 to 5, 2017 at the Palais des congrès.

Increased utilization of Canada's massive untapped reserves of low-cost wind energy will be critical if this country is to remain competitive in the global shift to a low-carbon economy, industry leaders agreed as the Canadian Wind Energy Association's (CanWEA) 33rd Annual Conference and Exhibition kicked off today in Montreal.

More than 1,200 wind energy professionals from Canada and around the world are attending CanWEA 2017, being held October 3-5 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. Hosted by CanWEA and Hannover Fairs (Canada), the 2 ½-day event features a dynamic line up of expert speakers on a range of topics that include emerging business development opportunities, wind and energy market trends, industry best practices and technology innovation. More than 110 exhibitors, representing the industry's leading companies in Canada, are showcasing the latest in wind-related products and services on the tradeshow floor.

Keynote speakers include Kim Rudd, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, The Honourable Jim Carr, and The Honourable Sergio Marchi, CEO of the Canadian Electricity Association.

The electricity grid of the future was in the spotlight during the conference's opening plenary session. Independent experts and electricity sector professionals weighed in on how cost-competitive renewable generation sources, rapidly advancing smart grid and storage technologies, shifting consumer expectations, and a global commitment to clean growth are transforming the way we produce and use energy. Panellists also shared insights on how governments and utilities in Canada can lead this transition, noting that Quebec's 2030 Energy Policy links the province's renewable resources to its future economic prosperity. At the same time Alberta and Saskatchewan are moving aggressively to modernize their electricity grids and revitalize their economies by targeting clean energy development and Ontario is about to release its Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) that will have to support its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 per cent by 2050.

Wednesday's plenary session will delve into emerging demand drivers for wind, including the rise of electric vehicles, new opportunities in remote communities and northern Canada, the increasing interest in wind energy exports to the United States, and the upsurge in corporate renewable energy purchases. The conference's closing plenary will focus on the electricity market reforms needed to help drive investment to cleaner sources of generation.

The program also features eight concurrent educational sessions, providing insight on how forward-thinking wind farm operators, project developers and electricity system planners can turn change into opportunity, tackling the permitting, resource assessment, and health and safety challenges facing a growing industry, and delving into the operational improvements and technology advancements that will contribute to the sector's long-term success.

Background

Canada currently has over 12,000 MW of wind energy, the eighth largest wind generating fleet in the world. More wind energy has been built in Canada over the last decade than any other form of electricity generation, with installed capacity growing by an average of 18 per cent a year over the past five years. To learn more, please visit the Wind Markets section of CanWEA's website.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance's New Energy Outlook 2017 predicts that nearly three-quarters of the US$10.2 trillion to be spent on new power generation worldwide to 2040 will be invested in wind and solar plants. Wind and solar will make up 48 per cent of the world's installed generating capacity and 34 per cent of electricity generation by 2040, compared with just 12 per cent and five per cent now.

CanWEA's ground-breaking Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study demonstrates that provinces across Canada can reliably integrate the large amounts of renewable energy required to meet their environmental and economic goals.

A new Léger public opinion poll in Quebec (available in French only) demonstrates that people in Quebec are strongly supportive of wind technology and are in favour of continuing to deploy wind energy to achieve the objectives of the energy transition.

A new Alberta Supply Chain Study finds that the Alberta government's Renewable Energy Plan will drive $8.3 billion of investment in new wind energy projects in the province. These projects are expected to result in $3.7 billion in local spending and 15,000 job years of employment by 2030.

CanWEA is the voice of Canada's wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada's leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. Join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Learn more at www.canwea.ca.

The non-energy benefits of lighting have long been the focus of the National Lighting Bureau. Established in 1976, the not-for-profit lighting-information service was created to advocate for “High-Benefit Lighting®”; i.e., energy-efficient lighting that is designed to increase worker productivity, reduce visual errors, increase safety, improve security, and attain a variety of related benefits with significant bottom-line values, as documented in an array of case histories available free on the Bureau’s website.

Keeping Current

STANDARD announces the appointment of two new sales managers for Western Canada.

Zane Yakiwchuk has been promoted to Regional Sales Manager for Western Canada. In addition to leading sales in Alberta and the Midwest, Zane will be responsible for the British Columbia market. Many of STANDARD's customers have Trans-Western operations and we believe we can work in a more aligned fashion to develop and execute strategic initiatives that will drive mutual growth. Zane has a long history with STANDARD, starting in 2004 as a Lighting Specialist in B.C. and then moving to Calgary in 2011 to become the Regional Sales Manager for Alberta. Based on his success in Alberta, Zane’s geographic region has been expanded to include Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.

Northwinds' sales force leverages over 100 years of combined experience in the province of Ontario and is committed to providing dependable solutions to an always-changing electrical industry. They are dedicated to fulfilling all the supply needs of the electrical distributor and contractor partners with the industry's finest manufacturers.

MERSEN announced the appointment of Ali Julazadeh as Regional Sales Manager for Canada’s Central Region, effective October 23, 2017. Ali joined Mersen in March 2014 in the position of Solutions Engineer, PV Products. Ali recently earned his P.Eng. designation, holds a Bachelors and a Masters of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from Ryerson University in Toronto and is in the process of completing his MBA.

Ali is based in Mersen’s Mississauga office and can be reached at 416.252.9371.

TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, has introduced a development kit for its new LUMAWISE Drive LED Holder Type Z50, enabling luminaire designers to purchase a single unit for desktop testing, product evaluation and luminaire prototyping. Each kit contains an LED holder, a cable assembly and a thermal interface material.

The versatile new Hilti task light SL 2-A22 packs a whole lot of illumination into a very small package. Put it on the ground, hang it by its integrated hook, or hold it in a free hand to put the light just where you need it to get the job done.

The fully-adjustable LED panel rotates to provide 360 degrees to get the light where you need it and pivots so you can put 500 lumens of color-accurate white natural light exactly where you need it, while staying cool to the touch. A 3-position switch lets you select the right amount of light based on your needs.

CBS ArcSafe®, a leading manufacturer of remote racking and switching solutions for low- and medium-voltage switchgear, introduces its remote switch actuator (RSA) for the ABB/Sace Novomax air circuit breaker (ACB). The lightweight, portable CBS ArcSafe RSA-242 allows technicians to remotely close or trip an ABB/Sace Novomax ACB from a safe distance of up to 300 feet, well outside the arc-flash boundary.